Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has reached a record high in national polls as support for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s leftist Labour government has waned significantly since its victory in July. In just over 100 days, the governing party has seen its lead collapse as Reform UK continues to gain popularity, with recent surveys showing that Farage’s populist movement now stands at 21% nationally. Meanwhile, the Labour Party and Tories have both fallen to 27%, revealing a shift in public opinion.
Farage and his party have stated that they intend to focus on winning voters from traditional ‘Red Wall’ working-class areas which have historically backed the Labour Party but voted in favor of Brexit in 2016 due to concerns about mass migration. The Prime Minister, Starmer, vowed to tackle people smugglers trafficking illegal migrants across the English Channel; however, boats carrying foreigners to British shores have continued to arrive without restraint since the Labour government came into power.
According to a survey of 2,000 people by More in Common, the failure to stem the tide of illegals arriving in the country was listed as the biggest failure of the new government by 22% of respondents. Other issues contributing to the public’s dissatisfaction with Starmer’s administration include Labour’s decision to scrap winter fuel subsidies for pensioners amid ongoing economic and energy price crises, and Starmer’s plan to release early prisoners in response to jail overcrowding and anti-mass migration protests.
In addition to these concerns, the government has been embroiled in a scandal surrounding “freebie” gifts accepted by Starmer and other Labour officials from top donors, such as designer glasses and the use of a central London penthouse owned by media mogul Lord Waheed Alli. This has led to Rosie Duffield, a prominent MP, quitting the party due to its perceived betrayal of altruistic ideals and escalating “sleaze, nepotism, and apparent avarice.
Luke Tryl, the director of More in Common UK, commented on the recent poll results, stating that from a public opinion perspective, the first 100 days of the Labour government could be described as disappointing at best. The public remains largely united in their dissatisfaction with the government’s performance, and Starmer’s approval ratings sit at an all-time low. With Reform UK gaining momentum, it is becoming increasingly possible that Farage’s populist movement may overtake Labour by the time of next year’s local elections.